International Youth Day is commemorated every year on August 12th. First observed in the year 2000, this is an awareness day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to issues surrounding youth and to promote the World Programme of Action for Youth. This year's theme is "Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World", which speaks to the need for and development of skills that are important to transition to a more sustainable world.

In these past two months of July and August I have spent more time with youth than I usually do as I have been assisting with various youth camps. I have previously shared a little about my own experience as a youth attending camp, and have found that these experiences inform how I am as a facilitator at camps and how I choose to interact with the youth. In April I shared about a day spent with the Blue Star Youth Group and how interesting it is to observe how our youth interact with each other, to notice how they have grown together, to appreciate the clarity of their thoughts, words and actions.

I have not spent much time with youth apart from these experiences. My work is with adults mostly. I know that all of the adults that I work with are very serious about caring for their children and young people in their spaces. It is important to have this level of care, of interest and engagement. It is important to work with our young people so that they are supported and grow to their fullest potential.

This care has been modelled for me - by my family and through the Blue Star. I am shaped by the foundation that I have been given and the practices of yoga that have become such a deep part of my lifestyle.

I know that many do not have this foundation, that many question what is going on with our youth, that the violence growing in our society is echoed in schools, that many worry about the future of our country.

I am not worried. Life is a cycle of ups and downs. The world as it is right now is our own creation, a manifestation of the choices that we, and those who have come before us, have made. In working with youth we must share our knowledge and experiences, our thoughts and fears, our hope and joy. We must trust and believe that we can guide and support them as needed.

There is the need for more adults to take time to become aware of self, to build their understanding of the world and what is needed for our growth and transformation as a society. For us to support the youth, we must support ourselves. We must build our foundations, and determine what are the right choices for ourselves and those who govern.

This International Youth Day there is much that we can do:

1. become aware of the national youth policy (Trinidad & Tobago, 2020-2025) and programmes offered for youth
2. build our knowledge of green skills and what is needed for a sustainable future
3. question what we are currently doing for youth and determine if this is appropriate for the age that we are in
4. encourage the youth around us, in whatever ways we are able to

Our yoga practice provides us with guidelines to manage our interactions with self and the world around us - as we build our understanding and practice of the yamas and niyamas we begin to understand our interconnectedness with nature (and thus the need for a sustainable future), and with those around us (our ancestors, those who share our spaces, our youth). Our practice allows us to strengthen our foundations and develop the skills needed for us to encourage, empower and celebrate our youth.

In my mind, International Youth Day is a day of hope and strength. Our youth can be the best of us once we work together for it to be so.

peace,

Renee Arundhati